Title: World Without End

Author: Ken Follett

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Signet

Format: Paperback   

Pages: 1025

Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis (Goodreads):

The #1 New York Times bestselling sequel to The Pillars of the Earth.

Ken Follett astonished the literary world with The Pillars of the Earth, a sweeping epic novel set in twelfth-century England that centered on the building of a cathedral and the men, women, and children whose lives it changed forever. Now, two centuries after the townspeople of Kingsbridge finished building the exquisite edifice, four children slip into the forest and witness a killing-an event that will bind them all by ambition, love, greed, and revenge…

Review:

Another great book by author Ken Follett. I loved the first book in this series, and I think I loved this one even more.

Set 200 years after the first book, World Without End starts out with 4 children witnessing a murder in the forest. This murder will bind them together for the rest of their lives.

My favourite character was Caris. Follett does an excellent job of writing strong female characters. Like Aliena, Caris wants to be independent and doesn’t want to be the property of a man. This proves difficult when she falls in love with Merthin, a young builder who seems to have similar talents to Jack Builder from the first book!

The book also follows other characters and their lives. Through many important characters, we get a glimpse at important events in history, including the Hundred Years War and the Black Plague. We also get to see architecture of the Middle Ages as Merthin explains his designs for different buildings. Follett does an amazing job of taking you back in time and letting you experience these events and the reader gets to feel like they understand what people felt back then. His books are not only enjoyable, but they also teach you important things about the time period. Most importantly, you get to see how regular people lived in the Middle Ages, what they did to survive, and how hard their lives were. You feel compassion for the characters and start to root for the success of characters like Caris and Merthin.

If you are a fan of historical fiction, then I would definitely recommend not only this book, but this series!

Happy reading!